Starring Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, and Kyle MacLachlan, our J.P. reviews “The House with a Clock in Its Walls,” a film directed by Eli Roth.
The House with A Clock in Its Walls
(Universal)
- Release Date: Friday, September 21, 2018 (Wide)
- RATED: PG (PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED – SOME MATERIAL MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN) FOR THEMATIC ELEMENTS INCLUDING SORCERY, SOME ACTION, SCARY IMAGES, RUDE HUMOR AND LANGUAGE.
- Directed by: Eli Roth
- Written by: Eric Kripke
- Cast: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sunny Suljic and Kyle MacLachlan
Studio Synopsis:
In the tradition of Amblin classics where fantastical events occur in the most unexpected places, Jack Black and two-time Academy Award® winner Cate Blanchett star in THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS, from Amblin Entertainment. The magical adventure tells the spine-tingling tale of 10-year-old Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) who goes to live with his uncle in a creaky old house with a mysterious tick-tocking heart. But his new town’s sleepy façade jolts to life with a secret world of warlocks and witches when Lewis accidentally awakens the dead.
Based on the beloved children’s classic written by John Bellairs and illustrated by Edward Gorey, THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS is directed by master frightener Eli Roth and written by Eric Kripke (creator of TV’s Supernatural). Co-starring Kyle MacLachlan, Colleen Camp, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Vanessa Anne Williams, Lorenza Izzo and Sunny Suljic, it is produced by Mythology Entertainment’s Brad Fischer (Shutter Island) and James Vanderbilt (Zodiac), as well as Kripke.
Executive produced by William Sherak, Tracey Nyberg, Laeta Kalogridis and Mark McNair, THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS will be released by Universal Pictures.
J.P.’s Take:
“The House with A Clock in Its Walls” is director Eli Roth’s first go around at family-friendly, fantasy / horror / comedy oriented realm of films. Coming from a writer / producer / director that’s known for gruesome horror films (“Cabin Fever,” “Hostel”), Roth manages to keep the setting PG providing kid friendly scares and fantastical fantasy elements.
Knowing nothing about John Bellairs’ 1973 novel (of the same title) nor having insight on the film myself, I went in with little expectation. Yet, I kept and open mind nonetheless and found there are some aspects that I did in fact enjoy. I’ve always enjoyed movies that took on a grim Halloween macabre, which gives this movie a fairytale-like ambience. In it you’ll find magic, creepy illusions, warlocks and witches and silly antics from whimsical characters. The story even felt like something out of an Edgar Allan Poe excerpt, with the ticking of a huge clock in the wall that is protected by a witch’s curse at its core.
Even the scares are decent, particularly in a couple of scenes where a gang of automatons (mechanical toys) attack Uncle Jonathon Barnavelt (Jack Black). Jonathan makes the sarcastic statement “Yeah that’s not creepy at all” sparking up a good laugh. Any one who remembers the Magic 8 Ball – also present in this film – will surely be thrown back in time where childhood innocence reigned. In that case “House” does have all the quirky ingredients to stoke up a youngster’s imagination.
Staying power, however, is not this film’s strong suite. It gets bogged down with subplot slump and undercooked subterfuge enough to not really care how it ends.
I do give credit to the cast for keeping the energy going when they could.
- Jack Black, whom excels at playing quirky off kilter characters, felt at home as Uncle Jonathan Barnavelt, a warlock with great abilities.
- Cate Blanchett plays “the good witch” Ms. Zimmerman and does so with great acting chops. I enjoy her work.
- I also give Kudos to Owen Vaccaro for putting on a spirited performance as the weird yet heartfelt Lewis Barnavelt.
- Kyle MacLachlan is the eerie Isaac Izard, whom raises the spell that puts the clock in the wall. I did find his performance sinister.
Rounding out the cast are Lorenza Izzo (Mrs. Barnavelt, Lewis), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Selena Izard), Colleen Camp (Mrs. Hanchett), Vanessa Anne Williams (Rose Rita Pottinger), Sunny Suljic (Tarby Corrigan), and even Eli Roth himself (iComrade Ivan) in supporting roles.
Overall, “House with A Clock in Its Walls” is along the lines of the “Goosebumps” series or “Monster House” (which I enjoyed more) that aim to give children a safe scare without sending them to therapy. For what it’s worth it’s whimsical, spooky, lightweight horror/comedy. It works fine for families with small children who want creepy family time, as well as adults who can’t handle real deal horror fests.